Razor blade holder and sheath



Feb. 17, 1953 H. F. CUNTZ RAZOR BLADE HOLDER AND SHEATH Filed Nov. 7,1946 FIG.

FIG.

FIG. 3b

FIG. 3

FIG. 3a.

9 5 mm Pol 5 F F 452/ /ww e 5 237A! F I If Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE RAZOR BLADE HOLDER AND SHEATH Hermann F. Cuntz, KewGardens, N. Y.

Application November 7, 1946, Serial No. 708,423

1 Claim.

My invention involves an article or device for encasing and holding asafety razor blade with an edge protruding in a manner adapted forgeneral cutting utilization, and with means for sheathing andunsheathing the cutting edge readily, so combined as a unit to form acompact article for carrying in pocket or bag without danger ofinvoluntary unsheathing of the cutting edge, and providing an articlefor handy manipulation when unsheathed.

My invention provides in a unitary structure a sheathed compact articlelittle larger in area than a razor blade, so little thicker as toreadily slip into a vest pocket or the like, easily lifted from a table,advantageous for many uses and adapted to easy manufacture. Inparticular, my invention provides a device into which a regular doubleedge safety razor blade without alteration is easily inserted, firmlyheld laterally and endwise sheathed against accidental uncovering of itscutting edge, easily unsheathed when desired for cutting use andreplacement of blade.

My device comprises a unitary structure of parts including a holder orsupport for clasp ing in precise position and protecting a readilyinsertable and removable cutting edge, and articulated thereto a partserving in one relative position to guard or sheath a cutting edge andin extended relative position a firm handle in conjunction with theholder part. Such structure providing means for reception, encasing andrigid holding of an entire two-edge safety razor blade with one sharpedge protruding for ordinary cutting. My device serves as a durablepermanent means for the rigidity required for support of a renewablecutting edge which is the only portion of a knife blade serving itsessential and primary utility. Thus instead of repeated sharpening of anordinary knife blade, only the wearing part, namely the cutting edgeportion, is renewed without wear on the permanent parts of my device andwithout altering the relation of the cutting edge with parts providinghandy grasp for manipulation.

Other objects are to provide simplicity of manufacture, low cost ofproduction and permanent assembly, avoidance of any separable parts,security and simplicity of inserting and. accurately positioning of asafety razor blade in the device, and ready replacing or renewal ofblades, firm interlocking of parts when closed or opened subject to easyvoluntary release, and other ob- Jects and advantages that will appearfrom the more detailed description herein or that may be realized in thepractice of my invention,

In all, my device provides for conservation of billions of slivers ofmost highly processed steel that have a very transient use for thepurpose for which they are originally most meticulously fashioned. Itprovides means for a further and long life of usefulness of bladesdiscarded for shaving, by conversion to a compact, safe universal cheapcutting instrument for manifold uses.

My device is preferably made of plastic materials, and injection moldingservices well to economically fashion its parts to a stiff hard finish,with the slight flexibility where desired or needed. Any desired color,embossing, lettering is readily provided in the moulding and may beeffected on forming the parts. The casing or pocket for the blade ispreferably made as one part and the sheath or cover as another part.These may be fashioned so that slight flexing permits assembling in onesimple operation by sliding a bifurcated end of one part over a portionof the other part until studs snap into a hole to form a hinge, thuscompleting the means for articulated interconnection and forming apermanently unitary structure. v

A typical embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, While many variations of my invention may be made, the formherewith illustrated is approximately full size, details and dimensionsand configuration will be adapted to ranges of fancy or methods ofmanufacture or assembly, and the materials used.

The drawings show in c Figure 1 a" typical two edge safety razor blade;

Figure 1a the end view thereof;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the razor blade combined holder andarticulated sheath opened for use in cutting;

Figure 2a is one end view of Fig. 2 showing the protruding cutting edgeof a blade in the holder;

Figure 3 is a side view-of device closed with blade edge covered; 7

Figure 3a is one end view andFig. 3b the view of the other end;

Figure 4 is a side view of a retriever, being a thin flat strip of,metal or other suitable stiff material with a, barbed end to insertbeside the blade in its holder and engage the hole in the blade toextract dulled blades for replacements;

Figure 5 is a top view of the blade holder part, and Fig. 5e, Fig. 5)and Fig. 5.17 are cross sections of Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a top view, when in open" position, as

3 in Fig. 2 of the sheath part of the device, and Fig. 6a, Fig. 6b andFig. 6c are cross sections of Fig. 6.

It will be noted that double edged safety razor blades usually, haveapertures I along their medial major dimension, as shown in Fig. 1,which I may use as ameans for retracting or retrieving dulled bladesfrom a snug fit in the slit in my holder by inserting the device shownin Fig. 4 until the barb 2 engages an aperture as I to pull the bladeout of the slit.

In the device illustrated, the blade holder 3 has walls 4, 4a thinneralong the outer edge of the slit, as shown in Fig. 2a, with their innersides .5 separated to form a slit the length of the blade and of abreadth, forming a tight fitting pocket for the blade laterally andlimiting endwise movement. Or the slit may be narrower than the bladethickness, and walls 4 and M be slightly yielding to pinch the bladetightly. To assure a firm locking in of the blade I may fashion thebulge 6 on the inner surface of one wall of the slit in position toengage any recess such as the hole I in the blade. At one end of 3 Ifashion a tit Ito snap into the end 2I of the sheath when in closedposition. At the other end of holder 3 a protuberance 8 forms a guardabove thesharp adjacent corner of the blade. At the lower corner a stop9 limits the swing of the sheath portion of the device when opening it.

At one end of the holder 3 a flat hill e portion i9 adapted to fit intothe butt of the sheath portion has a hole I I for pivots or hingepintles in the engaging end of the sheath. On the lower part of theholder, closed for bearing and encasing of the inserted edge of theblade, I prefer to form the walls I2 thicker than theopen slit walls, togive stiffness and to match the handhold with the extending thickness ofthe sheath portion for firm handling.

Thesheath I3 .is a cover part for the protruding blade edge when thedevice is closed for carrying in the pocket or the like. It is formed atone end with cheeks I separated to exactly fit hinge part I 0 and hasbosses I5 formed on each check, which form a pintle to engage hole II inthe adjacent end of the holder member to provide the hinge. The pintlemay be formed on one cheek I4, when making this part as by molding inplastic. The closed edge of back IQ of the sheath I3 is slit for a shortdistance as shown at I911, so that the cheeks Hi can be spread apart topermit the pintle portions I5 to slide over the end II) of the holdermember and snap into engagement with the hole II.

Thus simply by hand connecting of the two parts is the onlyassemblingoperation to produce the finished useful unitary. article, i.e. a firm blade holder and a secure sheath to protect the edge,voluntarily operable.

The sheath has the cavity Iii open from one side t9 snugly fit overwalls 4, 4a of the body cf the holder, with the closed end IT and thinwalls or .sides. I8 preferably forming a spring fit with the outside ofthe holder upper portion having its wall edges tapered inwardly to easethe. clasping upon closing the device to complete the en" casing of theblade.

At 20 on the cheeks I4 I preferably serrate a part for thumb or fingerfeel to warn a a nst e tal hin ng 9 th o arts hen i e iiir ulating theopener device. At the outer end is fashioned a snap protrusion 2| toengage the tit 1 on the holder and lock the device closed againstinvoluntary opening.

The limit to open hinging of the two parts is set by engagement of thenotch 22 on sheath I3 with the stop 9 on the holder. When so opened. forits utility manipulating, spring pawl 23 snaps into a sharp edged recess24 on the side of the holder end In and locks the parts open. To closethe sheath over' the holder a tit 25 serves to release the pawl 23 ofone or both parts of the bifurcated end of the sheath; or one of thecheeks It may have a pawl engaging a notch on the face of hingeportionIII, the flexibility of the material of the cheek I4 permitting thenecessary displacement for release of the pawl.

While I prefer the advantages of plastic material especiallyas to costand for functioning and manufacturing of my device, parts or all may beotherwise fashioned. It may be designed for varying protrusion of bladeedge suited to general use or for specific uses.

In all I provide an article for extensive use, safe, compact, light,adapted besides its utility for advertising display, and durable, toconserve for practical uses vast quantity of heretofore waste safetyrazor blades.

I claim:

A compact unitary pocket article consisting solely of a holder and asheath member for a double cutting edge safety razor blade connected forarticulation to protect a protruding cutting edge of a blade andalternatively free the edge for cutting and afford a manipulating holderhe for. a h e ember a n a rr w o en i ,full length on o e side andclosed t b h ends audit bot om to reqcivecne. knife d e o a razobladetlate allv. and th yieldin Wa l o the sl eing a a ted to sp n aparthe the b a is inserted to maintain a clasping fit on itssides, and saidsheath Inemberhavns a l ally open po ket ext ndin l n hwi e to cover theprotruding edge of a blade in the holder member and having one endpartly bi:

- furca-ted with a yieldingcheek and a pintle boss on the inside thereofadapted to be spread over one end of the holder for the boss to registerwith and snap onto a bearing on said end of the holder, therebyproviding the hinge for articulation of both members and forming atwo-piece unitary article, anda snap catch formed at the Ot er nd of teshea h to r tai bo h me b rs of th articl nclosed os t on h e ermittinready manual release to expose the blade.

HERMANN F. CUNTZ.

REFERE CE C T D The fcllowing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

